Food Allergies: The New “Normal”?

Allergies: It’s the new normal. It’s no longer a rare, one-per-school type thing. It’s one per classroom, at least for an anaphylaxis case, and many more per classroom for ‘regular’ allergies. Allergies to dust, pollen, chalk, tree nuts, seeds, grass, apples, air, and now food . . . regular food! Food like dairy, corn, soy and gluten. When did all that happen exactly? I think it must have happened somewhere in the hazy days of my carefree twenties (or late ’90s if you must know), because that’s when I wasn’t paying attention to anything kid-related. The closest I got to children was kids on TV sitcoms. I saw a few friends’ kids and thought at the time that they were cute in a way, but I didn’t want to actually take care of them or know too much about them beyond the few hours of cuteness they were rolled out to exude at parties.

Even then, I still didn’t hear about allergies. So when did it happen? Let’s see . . . Beginning in the year 2000, I started to engage more in my adult world and think about marriage and babies and all that. I had started to hear about EpiPens and kids with environmental allergies to pollen and dust. My boyfriend (now my husband) developed an allergy to apples circa 2002. That still baffles me. You’ve been eating apples your whole life and then . . . Sorry, time’s up?

Then we started to hear more about food allergies – just rumblings really, in the media and the odd conversation at parties. Now I can honestly say, I had never heard of a child allergic to food, I mean real food – things like bread, yogurt, crackers, food dyes and corn chips – until I was immersed in the world of autism recovery around 2012. That’s a whole ten years after my husband’s apple allergy, which, incidentally, I made fun of at the time.

Our son was born in 2006, and, after battling crippling autism for four years from 2008 to 2012, we eventually realized that food might be the source of his extreme behaviors. He was tested, and lo and behold his report had red flags all over it. I was floored; I had no idea. But I rallied to the battle cry, all the while kicking and screaming at the injustice of it all. We removed the offending foods and that pretty much sealed his fate on the road to recovery. Amazing, right? It wasn’t the only intervention we used of course, but we had found the one thing that was the most enlightening for us as a family. And it changed our lives forever. It’s not that easy for all kids on the spectrum, but it’s always where we suggest beginning that long journey home: organic, allergy-free diets, and it goes on from there.

Now most of my friends, parents of autistic children and neurotypical children alike, have one or two kids with allergies. So what happens when parents start to ask the simple question “Why?” Around eight years ago, a fearless parent, Robyn O’Brien, discovered her daughter’s allergy to food in a startling way over breakfast one morning. Frighteningly, her daughter reacted to blue yogurt, eggs and pancakes and was rushed to the ER. A breakfast eaten by her kids many times and by many other kids around the US every day. What had changed? You can hear Robyn talk about it here:

The question she asks – which is what we all should be asking – is; “How can a child be allergic to food?” A simple question with an incredibly complicated answer.

There is a crossover between the allergy world and the autism world which only autism moms seem to be aware of for now. We are hyper-focused on gut healing, food sensitivities, detoxing and recovery. One thing most of our kids on the spectrum have in common is multiple food allergies or sensitivities, which are wreaking havoc on their intestines. Whilst allergies and intolerences are not exactly the same thing, they all require gut healing to overcome. Once the gut heals, we start to see amazing improvements in our children’s symptoms. This is the main reason why we are so passionate about our kids’ food. It has sparked numerous debates online in the last few months.

In a recent article in Huffington Post, the author called all the food-allergy moms out on this very issue for ruining her kid’s birthday party in school (yes, that’s what school is for). I think it was a universal condemnation of kids with allergies as she wasn’t specific about which ones except to say she wasn’t a fan of allergy-free food. She wanted the real deal – sugar, white flour and eggs, probably not organic judging by the tone. In an award-worthy retort my brave Team TMR friend Zorro took a stab at her (arguments) here and we all cheered – almost 40,000 of you actually, according to our latest statistics.

I should note here that peanut anaphylaxis and peanut allergies are in a separate category, a view only half-heartedly shared by that Huffington Post contributor, due to the extreme danger of fatal outcomes from the slightest exposure. You can read what Robyn Charron, a tireless advocate for allergy awareness, has to say on this epidemic when she blogged for TMR a few months ago. And if you want to read what Heather Fraser thinks about it, you can get her (almost) free book The Peanut Allergy Epidemic: What’s Causing It and How to Stop It.

But the real reason why Beth inspires me is that she is spearheading an exciting new project that has the vision to explore this very topic in chronically ill children, figure out what’s causing their illnesses, and reverse it so that they can be healed. Sounds incredible, right? Well in a world where the majority of people have subconsciously accepted that these new illnesses befalling our children – allergies, asthma, ADHD, autism, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s and many others – are the new normal, someone has to sound the alarm. Someone has to stand up and say “Wait a minute, this is not okay! This is NOT normal!”

I, for one, will do all I can to ensure that this project gets funded. You see, no one else is able to tell me their plan for reversing this crisis. No one else has the answer, the study, the one thing that can help us understand this epidemic. I am just a mom who is recovering her son from autism, so what do I know? Well, actually, a whole lot. And so do all the moms of autistic and allergic children in recovery whom I have the honor to know. But we’re kind of spent, emotionally and financially. We need your help to fund this study and documentary. $10 at a time will do it. $50 at a time will do it. It’s the only way.

~ Shamrock

About the author – Shamrock is a mom to three beautiful children, one of whom is recovering from ASD. She is a board member of Epidemic Answers and part of the development team at the Canary Kids Project. She is the co-author of Evolution Of A Revolution: From Hope To Healing and is a member of TEAM TMR, a not-for-profit organisation created by the founders of The Thinking Moms’ Revolution. For more by Shamrock, click here.

6 Responses to Food Allergies: The New “Normal”?

Mary Brooks, Lyme has been associated with both depression and MS. Have you done a proper Lyme titre test through a reliable lab like Igenex? My neurologist had me go through a lumbar puncture recently to rule it out after so many neuro symptoms, and brain scan showed lesions. And, of course, a clean diet will help many people recover from serious illnesses. Wish you well!

We have it all here at this house! What causes epidemics??? Infections!!! What do infections cause??? Inflammation!!! LYME, LYME, LYME, LYME, LYME!!! Maybe if enough “crazy” Lyme moms continue to speak out for these sick children, MAYBE someday the “thinking” moms will eventually get it!?! Just wish they would include ONE kiddo with Lyme Disease and it’s co-infections in that project.

I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if they do. I know a number of Thinking parents dealing with Lyme disease either in themselves and/or their children. Lyme is certainly a consideration for a variety of children’s issues, but that doesn’t mean that it is involved in ALL children’s issues.

I have someone very close to me in my life who is autistic as well and his parents have started a really cool autistic charity. Another friend of mine here is connected to you all through the Canary project as she just sent it to me a couple of weeks ago. I have MS and I am on a big holistic healing plan to go to remission and be healthy again. I think something that is missed with most people is we live in a world of instant gratification and we can only heal the gut over a long period of time. Our bodies can heal, things can regenerate if we give it the right environment for long enough. We are living in an America where our food supply and environment is so toxic that if there is anyone out there who tells you they are not sick, well they are either incredibly lucky, or they are sick and just do not know it. That was me. I ignored symptoms for 9 years. Everyone has something even if it is the smallest thing. Just depression alone has become terribly chronic and in many cases can be food related. We will never shut down Monsanto, all we can do is continue to raise awareness as you are here, and spearhead projects like Canary Kids so we can all help each other heal and recover. I’d love to hear more about your story and journey with your son and will follow you here now that I have found you.

This is an amazing project. I have to disagree that it is only the Autism community that is aware of the crossover. More in the Autism community are forced to face the reality. I know many severe allergy folks with kids that have undiagnosed spectrum characteristics. Many allergy support group leaders have noticed the overlap and some prefer to live in denial. With a high prevalence of damage many things have become the new norm. Furthermore, many Autism children are now experiencing overlaps in the Lyme community and dealing with PANS/PANDAS/PITANS. This mother of an (ANA) anaphylactic allergy child has known for years there are overlaps. In 2007 I learned first hand how Lyme and co-infections are underlying loads contributing to the vaccine damage now manifesting as auto immune disorders such as allergies, asthma, ANA, Autism, OCD, ADD, ADHD… I could fully embrace and support a project that tackled the role bacteria and viruses play in todays auto-immune soup and how to arrive at recovery.

Even without vaccines, it is very possible to get just as sick as the vaccine-poisoned children, with two factors: mineral deficiency and neurotoxins via other vectors. The good news for these kids is that they recover very quickly because they were not injected and their detox pathways are still open.